After the public execution here
http://jalopnik.com/5676132/top-ten-modifications-for-your-daily-driver#comments
I'm curious to know what you guys think are worthwhile mods for a daily driver.
For me:
1. Tires- still the best mod and really make a huge difference. More power + better suspensions + brakes are meaningless on shitty tires.
2. Upgraded shocks/springs- manufacturers compromise a lot on these and often leave the enthusiast out of the equation on mainstreamers. A nice Eibach/Koni combo can really spice up a car's handling while maintaining (or in some cases helping by quelling low speed movement and inspiring confidence) good ride quality. Coilovers are overkill IMO, unless you can get a set with good DD rates, which is prob beyond the scope of most enthusiasts. Obviously for some cars (sports cars mainly), sometimes it's better to just stick with stock, but for something like an Accord, good springs and shocks can literally turn a grocery getter into a grin inducing sports sedan (combined with other mods)
3. Intake/exhaust- again, a lot of compromise here, mainly for noise. A quality intake/exhaust will give you more sound, better throttle response and a little top end gain without droning on the highway or waking neighbors. Relatively easy/cheap to install too.
4. Brembo blank brake rotors + sport pads- I've been made a believer by high speed runs in my friends' Altimas and Maximas. NOTHING inspires confidence like brakes that don't fade or shudder during extended 100+ MPH sprints. For most cars this is prob one of the easiest mods to do as well.
5. Stereo upgrade- IDK... I like quality sounds. You don't need a 1000W subwoofer and competition grade components, but for about $500, you can get decent HU w/aux inputs & high voltage preouts, a decent powered 4 CH amp and some cheap component speakers that will rival the best OEM systems have to offer.
So there's my list. Of course driver's school is good too, along with some track time in your car, but overall I think these are solid mods that can really enhance many daily drivers w/o taking away from their comfort and reliability.
Tires, stereo, lights, brakes, and, um, an actual sports car. ;)
1) Stiffer engine damper - I like to feel as if the engine were bolted directly to the chassis. I don't like wasted motion
2) Wheels with a lower offset or wheel spacers. I hate a track that's much narrower than the body of the car. Makes the car look like it's got muffin top
3) Louder exhaust. I like a car with a good engine note, and I want to hear it loud and clear
3) Quaife LSD if it's a FWD without an LSD. Expensive, but worth 2x the money, IMO
4) Haven't done 'em yet, but gauges. I want to know what my oil and water temps and pressures are
5) Tires. Amazing how big of a difference they can make. My car went from razor sharp Miata to Toyota Echo on the highway by the addition of snow tires.
Nothing. Not on a daily driver "normal" car anyway. I'd go out and buy one that's got good stuff on it from the factory. Now a sports car is another story. But a DD for me should just be right from the factory. It's why I was looking at an RX-8 R3, BMW 335i and a Infinit G37 sport as my DD cars. They didn't need anything to make them right or feel good.
Good tires from the start so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
A firm but not jarring suspension. You can make something better by changing these things sometimes. You can also fuck up something horribly by messing with it. And if you've never been in a car with the parts you're looking at buying then you've got no idea how it will feel until it's over with. And then it's too late unless you want to do it all over again.
Stock radios are never that great. But aftermarket ones never look good in the dash.And they don't make normal looking stuff anymore. It has to have all kinds of lights and bullshit on them. And now that so many cars make the A/C and other controls all one big unit with the radio it looks even worse when you change one.
You've got to pull apart panels off the car and put them back together without rattles and things like that. And most people just can't do that worth a shit. For a few days I thought about getting a touch screen radio/GPS for my new car. Then I said fuck it.
No to the exhaust too. Unless I've seen it and heard what it sounds like I've got no idea if it's better. And it's a DD so I don't want to have it too noisy in the first place. You can't go by what adds and reviews on-line say. I've done it before and I've got a full $1,200 exhaust in my shop doing nothing now.
1. Turbo
2. 2 Turbos
3. 3 Turbos
4. 4 Turbos
5. Truck nutz
Darn, forgot about truck nutz.
Quote from: Onslaught on October 31, 2010, 07:05:09 AM
Nothing. Not on a daily driver "normal" car anyway. I'd go out and buy one that's got good stuff on it from the factory. Now a sports car is another story. But a DD for me should just be right from the factory. It's why I was looking at an RX-8 R3, BMW 335i and a Infinit G37 sport as my DD cars. They didn't need anything to make them right or feel good.
Good tires from the start so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
A firm but not jarring suspension. You can make something better by changing these things sometimes. You can also fuck up something horribly by messing with it. And if you've never been in a car with the parts you're looking at buying then you've got no idea how it will feel until it's over with. And then it's too late unless you want to do it all over again.
Stock radios are never that great. But aftermarket ones never look good in the dash.And they don't make normal looking stuff anymore. It has to have all kinds of lights and bullshit on them. And now that so many cars make the A/C and other controls all one big unit with the radio it looks even worse when you change one.
You've got to pull apart panels off the car and put them back together without rattles and things like that. And most people just can't do that worth a shit. For a few days I thought about getting a touch screen radio/GPS for my new car. Then I said fuck it.
No to the exhaust too. Unless I've seen it and heard what it sounds like I've got no idea if it's better. And it's a DD so I don't want to have it too noisy in the first place. You can't go by what adds and reviews on-line say. I've done it before and I've got a full $1,200 exhaust in my shop doing nothing now.
I'm thinking for something like more of a Mazda6 or TSX.
On a 335i I would prob just throw on some springs/shocks and an exhaust. For me the added handling is worth the slightly harder ride, and I'm sure there are DDable exhausts. But I agree that for a certain class of cars there are diminishing returns on mods. For example I prob either wouldn't touch the suspension on something like an M3 or Carrera, or I would go with an upgraded OEM setup like the CSL or GT3 suspensions...
A lot of it is risk if you don't check the mods out on an actual car for sure and I agree that online reviews are useless. So part #0 is doing research on parts you're thinking about by joining car clubs. In addition to being able to sample parts for free you can get a shit ton of free mechanical help and super cheap parts, plus general insights on your car.
For the cars you listed I agree that in many cases the aftermarket does more bad than good. But everyone can't have a 335i. Some people have to get the base 328i. So for them an exhaust and upgraded suspension might have more payback. I don't think it's right to write off modding DDs for everyone... with the right parts it can really open a car up without making it a pain in the ass.
For El Camino:
Exhaust, cam, sway bars, LSD, and this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDJPLxwuMyA) :lol:
Quote from: sportyaccordy on October 31, 2010, 09:34:35 AM
I'm thinking for something like more of a Mazda6 or TSX.
On a 335i I would prob just throw on some springs/shocks and an exhaust. For me the added handling is worth the slightly harder ride, and I'm sure there are DDable exhausts. But I agree that for a certain class of cars there are diminishing returns on mods. For example I prob either wouldn't touch the suspension on something like an M3 or Carrera, or I would go with an upgraded OEM setup like the CSL or GT3 suspensions...
A lot of it is risk if you don't check the mods out on an actual car for sure and I agree that online reviews are useless. So part #0 is doing research on parts you're thinking about by joining car clubs. In addition to being able to sample parts for free you can get a shit ton of free mechanical help and super cheap parts, plus general insights on your car.
For the cars you listed I agree that in many cases the aftermarket does more bad than good. But everyone can't have a 335i. Some people have to get the base 328i. So for them an exhaust and upgraded suspension might have more payback. I don't think it's right to write off modding DDs for everyone... with the right parts it can really open a car up without making it a pain in the ass.
Oh, I'm not going to write all of it off. I understand the fun of doing things like that. And it can be done right. But most of the ones I've ever been in hurt things more then helped.
If I was going to throw stuff on say a Mazda6 I'd probably buy Mazdaspeed parts from the factory. You know it fits, it has a factory warranty and won't affect the original one.
And you know it's probably good stuff too. Same thing with other car makers performance stuff too.
However, I don't see the need to buy say a Mazda6 and then spend crazy money trying to make it handle like a BMW. Just save up a little more and get the real thing.
It's also a very good idea to try and go out with some of the club guys and see what works and what sucks. I put racing beat stuff on my MX-5 because it's it's a well known Mazda brand and has a good reputation. I will be taking that shit off and putting only flyin' miata parts on it from now on. The racing beat stuff ruined my MX-5 in my opinion.
1. Lighting; good bulbs (+50 or better) without blue coating, aim them properly, and if you're a nut like me, build a wiring harness to power them right off the battery via relays.
2. Tires. Factory tires are nearly always a compromise, designed for the best fuel economy and ride.
3. If possible, a good engine tune by a reputable tuner. Will yield far better results than a loud exhaust and intake, and you'll keep your sanity on long highway trips.
4. Sway bars. A good matched set for the front and rear, along with uprated links if needed, will dramatically transform turn-in, transient response, body roll, and balance, all without a noticeable reduction in ride quality, NVH, and harshness, as is the case with springs and shocks. Sway bars give you the greatest return, dollar for dollar, of any suspension mod.
5. Chassis bracing maybe... not as much of a return, less evident improvement in handling over the sway bars. A spare set of wheels with snow tires mounted. :praise:
I've recently decided that lighting is super important. I've done enough long drives at night with crappy lights, thank you. If you have an older car with sealed beams, get H4 replacements (Hella, Cibie), and put bright bulbs in there (without any stupid gimmicky coatings), like 55/100W. If you don't have sealed beams, but the lights still suck (like the Explorer), add good driving lights and fog lights. For older cars, add fatty wiring and relays, too.
Btw the original list on Jalopnik was complete garbage. :lol:
Ridiculous ricer shit. I think everyone there knows that, too. :lol:
Ya I always gut my interiors. Makes the car double-clutch better.
I worked briefly with a guy who was into the honda ricer scene with pretty much all of the mods from that article. Healways wanted to race me... I don't street race, but it would have been fun to see the look on his face. His car just managed to be really loud, rough-riding, and still slow.
Quote from: Onslaught on October 31, 2010, 11:16:45 AM
However, I don't see the need to buy say a Mazda6 and then spend crazy money trying to make it handle like a BMW. Just save up a little more and get the real thing.
Oh yea I agree. But for various reasons one might just not want the more driver oriented car. For example the Mazda6 might be better suited to carrying 5 people, or is cheaper to maintain/insure. Obv that will never be a BMW, but it's still amazing to see how well a FWD car of moderate size & good suspension config can handle and ride with good parts (and of course still be reliable yadda yadda).
Likewise w/something like a non-sport 3 series, you could save a little $$$ on the purchase and put that money towards more aggressive suspension and tires than you'd get on a car w/the sports package. Etc
It's impossible to improve anything on a modern car. Better to spend your money on non-perishable food and water for the Cougspocalypse.
1. Tires
2. Wheels
3. Brakes (if you got new wheels........at least better pads)
4. Lighting
5. Light power tuning (ECU remapping/computer chip, cold-air intake, aftermarket muffler)
1. Tires
2. Headlights
3. Stereo
That's it.
Anything else would involve semi permanent garbage containers or cleaning wipes for messy kid stuff.
Years ago , 4 and 5 would have been Intake and exhaust. Nothing on the loud side with exhaust either. Just a relatively calm bump in horsepower. It's a daily driver afterall..
Since my SVT Focus already had a great suspension, intake, exhaust, and headlights, she got:
1. Aftermarket Dyno Tune
2. Short Throw Shifter and Solid engine mount
3. Hawk brake pads
4. Wheels and tires
5. kick-ass Stereo
If I had the money:
1. Suspension
2. Exhaust (subdued though, only slightly louder than stock)
3. Short shift kit
4. Stereo
5. Some appearance stuff
Due to not having money, I'm going to do some appearance stuff to the car (tail light covers to cover up the silly chrome bits in the tail lights, etc).
1. Tires
2. Brakes
3. Suspension
4. Stereo
That's everything I've done to the Accord and likely everything I will do to it.
Wheels. Not too many factory wheels that I like.
Set of matched rims/snow tires.
Borla or similar exhaust.
That's about it.
1.Better headlights
2.Remote start.
3.A nice stereo w/input for my MP3 player
4.A lite window tint.
5.A good set of all season tires.
1. Headlights -I'm a big fan of HID conversion kits, they're extremely easy to do (I've put three in), and the difference it makes is phenomenal. I hated driving rental cars with cheap halogens (some newer family cars have decent headlight systems, but even then...) after having driven nothing but HID for the past few years.
2. Remote start/keyless entry if a car doesn't have it.
3. Stereo upgrade if needed- a lot of new cars don't need it (IMO), but I had to upgrade my head unit so I could get an integrated XM receiver. Now that I've had XM for five years, I'm not sure I could get along without it (even though I really should since I don't drive much/far these days)
4. Tires- I'm not as picky as most, but I want something with good grip and as smooth/quiet a ride as possible
I don't really have a 5th since I've never done any significant performance upgrades to a car, but I'm sure there are plenty of good things I would appreciate if I did them.
I have sort of a problem with most aftermarket HID conversions... while they seem nice for the guy behind the wheel, the additional glare they create is blinding to other drivers. Plus the way so many people buy bulbs on the blue/purple end of the color spectrum they aren't doing themselves any real favors in inclement weather or at all for that matter.
Unless you are installing/upgrading the projectors to something designed optically for HID bulbs you are doing it wrong.
I don't have any experience with HID kits, but the knowledgeable-person hearsay I, uh, hear, is that they mostly just create glare for the other driver, which is obviously a bad idea. The amount of light is nice, but the aiming is really the most important part.
I think lighting is probably the most myth-prone area of automotive knowledge. Automotively smart people that I know are into Silverstars, and such ridiculousness.
Yep. So true.
The two main problems are that even when aimed properly the optics aren't designed for the location of the arc in the bulb, nor for a bulb that puts out in some cases twice as many lumens. So you have twice as much light going in all the wrong directions.
The other problem is that a lot of people choose bulbs in the 6000k or higher temp range which is way more towards the blue/purple end of the spectrum than OE HIDs which are closer to 4000k-5000k. Blue light is known to refract more readily than light in the other end of the spectrum, so even the driver sees less of a benefit since much of the light he's casting causes eye strain and glare for himself in snow or rain.
Of course you know this since you and I are big into Daniel Stern, but not a lot of people know this so I figured i'd share it.
Vented plasma induction coils.
Bio-nueral gelpack circutry.
Variable geometry pylons.
Supercharger.
Ablative hull armor.
Quote from: R-inge on October 31, 2010, 11:08:24 PM
Yep. So true.
The two main problems are that even when aimed properly the optics aren't designed for the location of the arc in the bulb, nor for a bulb that puts out in some cases twice as many lumens. So you have twice as much light going in all the wrong directions.
The other problem is that a lot of people choose bulbs in the 6000k or higher temp range which is way more towards the blue/purple end of the spectrum than OE HIDs which are closer to 4000k-5000k. Blue light is known to refract more readily than light in the other end of the spectrum, so even the driver sees less of a benefit since much of the light he's casting causes eye strain and glare for himself in snow or rain.
Of course you know this since you and I are big into Daniel Stern, but not a lot of people know this so I figured i'd share it.
x2
I actually emailed with him about the Porsche's lighting, and he linked me to some really cool isocandela diagrams of light distribution from a bunch of different H4 halogens. Cibie = the shit, basically. I really appreciate his emphasis on data and good methodology in an area full of straight up ridiculous claims and trends.
Quote from: rohan on October 31, 2010, 11:22:12 PM
Vented plasma induction coils.
Bio-nueral gelpack circutry.
Variable geometry pylons.
Supercharger.
Ablative hull armor.
I feel like I should be getting your reference... Sci-fi of some kind?
Quote from: rohan on October 31, 2010, 11:22:12 PM
Vented plasma induction coils.
Bio-nueral gelpack circutry.
Variable geometry pylons.
Supercharger.
Ablative hull armor.
Tri-axilating headlights.
Nanite-enhanced ECU.
Quote from: Rupert on October 31, 2010, 11:38:58 PM
I feel like I should be getting your reference... Sci-fi of some kind?
His car would be a mix of the USS Voyager and a little USS Defiant.
1. Stretch
2. Poke
3. Slam
4. 22+" rimz
5. Roof rack
I'm not at all enthused by stereo upgrades. I don't like music when I drive; in fact, I don't really like background noise at all. Just me, the car and the world.
Good sound system.
Good tires.
Good shocks.
Years ago when the kids were tiny I had a Mazda MPV. A friend of mine ran an independent auto servicing shop & he suggested replacing the shocks with some decent gas struts. It COMPLETELY transformed the way the car rode & handled for the better. So even on a lowly, crappy, minivan it made a big difference.
Quote from: Onslaught on October 31, 2010, 07:05:09 AM
Nothing. Not on a daily driver "normal" car anyway. I'd go out and buy one that's got good stuff on it from the factory. Now a sports car is another story. But a DD for me should just be right from the factory. It's why I was looking at an RX-8 R3, BMW 335i and a Infinit G37 sport as my DD cars. They didn't need anything to make them right or feel good.
Good tires from the start so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
A firm but not jarring suspension. You can make something better by changing these things sometimes. You can also fuck up something horribly by messing with it. And if you've never been in a car with the parts you're looking at buying then you've got no idea how it will feel until it's over with. And then it's too late unless you want to do it all over again.
Stock radios are never that great. But aftermarket ones never look good in the dash.And they don't make normal looking stuff anymore. It has to have all kinds of lights and bullshit on them. And now that so many cars make the A/C and other controls all one big unit with the radio it looks even worse when you change one.
You've got to pull apart panels off the car and put them back together without rattles and things like that. And most people just can't do that worth a shit. For a few days I thought about getting a touch screen radio/GPS for my new car. Then I said fuck it.
No to the exhaust too. Unless I've seen it and heard what it sounds like I've got no idea if it's better. And it's a DD so I don't want to have it too noisy in the first place. You can't go by what adds and reviews on-line say. I've done it before and I've got a full $1,200 exhaust in my shop doing nothing now.
I don't know about your model year, but I didn't know the OEM Potenzas that came with my old Rx8. They were loud, and they performed poorly. After I switched to RT615s... much much improved. Even wet traction improved over OEM with significantly less road noise.
Quote from: Raza on November 01, 2010, 05:29:26 AM
1. Stretch
2. Poke
3. Slam
4. 22+" rimz
5. Roof rack
Is the rust number 6?
Why are you guys changing the lighting on the cars, unless your car's over 10 years old, anything made in this century should have decent lighting even with stock bulbs. Any aftermarket crap light silverstars just blinds people.
For me..
1. Tires, like everyone says, stock tires sucks 99% of the time.
2. Wheels, something light weight
3. Brakes, upgraded brake pad, and if needed brake discs and SS lines.. but the latter is just optional.
4. Shocks probably..
5. ECU tuning if good one's available... ie. Hondata.
Everything else would probably remain stock since this is a daily driver. And most of my "mods" are pretty much wear and tear items other than the wheels and ECU, but they should all improve the overall performance on the car.
These are the mods I'm thinking about for the RDX. I haven't decided on what I want for the wheels yet though. The OEM brakes definitely needs to go.. they're not enough for the weight of the damn thing.
Quote from: R-inge on October 31, 2010, 11:08:24 PM
Yep. So true.
The two main problems are that even when aimed properly the optics aren't designed for the location of the arc in the bulb, nor for a bulb that puts out in some cases twice as many lumens. So you have twice as much light going in all the wrong directions.
The other problem is that a lot of people choose bulbs in the 6000k or higher temp range which is way more towards the blue/purple end of the spectrum than OE HIDs which are closer to 4000k-5000k. Blue light is known to refract more readily than light in the other end of the spectrum, so even the driver sees less of a benefit since much of the light he's casting causes eye strain and glare for himself in snow or rain.
Of course you know this since you and I are big into Daniel Stern, but not a lot of people know this so I figured i'd share it.
Yea lighting has to be done right, or not at all.
I am actually fascinated by lighting, and did some experiments with some sealed bulb fixtures. It's possible to run an HID bulb in an H4 enclosure, but it needs the proper shielding & positioning, and isn't as good as a projector anyway. I would either go full retro or just leave the lighting alone.
Rupert, I think there are some legit sealed bulb fitting HID projector kits out there.
Quote from: Morris Minor on November 01, 2010, 09:47:42 AM
Good sound system.
Good tires.
Good shocks.
Years ago when the kids were tiny I had a Mazda MPV. A friend of mine ran an independent auto servicing shop & he suggested replacing the shocks with some decent gas struts. It COMPLETELY transformed the way the car rode & handled for the better. So even on a lowly, crappy, minivan it made a big difference.
Shocks are very underrated. As a wear and tear item, you'll have to replace them anyway... might as well go for the best, as they make a huge difference in ride & handling.
So I was using the RX-8 in GT5 today and I want one.
1. Remove rotary
2. shvap in an LS6
3. headers+ exhaust on LS6
4. rimz.
5. maybe some lowerz
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 02:57:23 PM
So I was using the RX-8 in GT5 today and I want one.
1. Remove rotary
2. shvap in an LS6
3. headers+ exhaust on LS6
4. rimz.
5. maybe some lowerz
WHAT???!!?! Rotary is part of what makes the car so great.
Quote from: thewizard16 on October 31, 2010, 10:31:13 PM
1. Headlights -I'm a big fan of HID conversion kits, they're extremely easy to do (I've put three in), and the difference it makes is phenomenal. I hated driving rental cars with cheap halogens (some newer family cars have decent headlight systems, but even then...) after having driven nothing but HID for the past few years.
Same here. All my vehicles have them and when I drive a car with regular halogens it's not the same.
Quote from: R-inge on October 31, 2010, 11:08:24 PM
The two main problems are that even when aimed properly the optics aren't designed for the location of the arc in the bulb, nor for a bulb that puts out in some cases twice as many lumens. So you have twice as much light going in all the wrong directions.
I aim my headlights slightly lower (Not on the Gixxer tho. I'm going for max visibilty on it.) when I install the HIDs. I haven't been flashed or flipped off so far.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 02:57:23 PM
So I was using the RX-8 in GT5 today and I want one.
1. Remove rotary
Boo
Quote from: NomisR on November 01, 2010, 03:44:47 PM
WHAT???!!?! Rotary is part of what makes the car so great.
The chassis is what makes the car great.
LS6 > wimpy rotary
I'm going to guess you haven't driven one, or anything with a sky-high redline.
Quote from: 2o6 on November 01, 2010, 05:25:38 PM
I'm going to guess you haven't driven one, or anything with a sky-high redline.
I'm going to guess you haven't either.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 05:24:45 PM
The chassis is what makes the car great.
LS6 > wimpy rotary
Just go get a Vet then. Don't ruin a good Mazda.
Oh, and you can't tell shit from playing a damn video game.
Yes, I have.
There's nothing more satisfying then revving a car up to 9K and then some.
Quote from: 2o6 on November 01, 2010, 05:27:56 PM
Yes, I have.
There's nothing more satisfying then revving a car up to 9K and then some.
Torque is also fun.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 01, 2010, 05:27:40 PM
Just go get a Vet then. Don't ruin a good Mazda.
Oh, and you can't tell shit from playing a damn video game.
Corvettes are also really common.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 05:30:30 PM
Corvettes are also really common.
Well you don't see as many RX-8's around as you do Corvettes that's for sure. But it's not like you don't see them around. I see them all over town here. It's nothing people don't see everyday.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 01, 2010, 05:32:48 PM
Well you don't see as many RX-8's around as you do Corvettes that's for sure. But it's not like you don't see them around. I see them all over town here. It's nothing people don't see everyday.
I've seen less than 10 RX-8's over the last two years.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 05:24:45 PM
The chassis is what makes the car great.
LS6 > wimpy rotary
Rotary is what makes the car special.. with the low CG of the engine allows for the balance. It won't have the same balance with the LS6. It's not just about the weight but where the weight is placed.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 05:38:39 PM
I've seen less than 10 RX-8's over the last two years.
You live in a shit hole then. :lol:
I see about 4-5 a day on the drive into work. About about 10-20 a week around town. Have a large RX-8 club in Charlotte that I can never get around to going to see the guys.
But they all drive like idiots and total cars one after another. At this rate the club won't have any cars in it if they keep it up.
You want a rare one then get a 09 up. I've only seen 4 of those in the last year.
Quote from: NomisR on November 01, 2010, 05:41:27 PM
Rotary is what makes the car special.. with the low CG of the engine allows for the balance. It won't have the same balance with the LS6. It's not just about the weight but where the weight is placed.
Careful, ChrisV will be in here telling you how dumb you are. He'll show you pictures of his V8 RX-7 FC and tell you it was just the same as the stock one. Then he'll start telling you lots of other crap.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 01, 2010, 05:46:14 PM
Careful, ChrisV will be in here telling you how dumb you are. He'll show you pictures of his V8 RX-7 FC and tell you it was just the same as the stock one. Then he'll start telling you lots of other crap.
:lol: I like the way a Rotary sounds.. there's just nothing like the whirling noise of a Rotary and the effortlessness of it at high RPMs.
But I don't see how you can place an LS6 lower and farther in the car than you would with the Renesis though. The 13B-REW on the other hand, all the additional plumbing makes it big so I can understand.
The Rotary can probably use something like a TVS supercharger on it though.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 01, 2010, 05:43:51 PM
You live in a shit hole then. :lol:
I see about 4-5 a day on the drive into work. About about 10-20 a week around town. Have a large RX-8 club in Charlotte that I can never get around to going to see the guys.
But they all drive like idiots and total cars one after another. At this rate the club won't have any cars in it if they keep it up.
You want a rare one then get a 09 up. I've only seen 4 of those in the last year.
I live in red neck ville. We like V8's or GM 3800s.
Quote from: NomisR on November 01, 2010, 05:53:53 PM
:lol: I like the way a Rotary sounds.. there's just nothing like the whirling noise of a Rotary and the effortlessness of it at high RPMs.
But I don't see how you can place an LS6 lower and farther in the car than you would with the Renesis though. The 13B-REW on the other hand, all the additional plumbing makes it big so I can understand.
The Rotary can probably use something like a TVS supercharger on it though.
(http://powerflowracing.com/forumimages/DSC_0013-1.jpg)
I want a C3 Vette so badly right now, though. Saw one yesterday and it was pure sex.
(http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2010/01/11/07/52/1969_chevrolet_corvette_coupe-pic-6601775794072780189.jpeg)
(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4605/69vette.jpg)
(http://images.vetteweb.com/features/vemp_0612_aus_01_z+69_corvette+side_view.jpg)
I love the (pre Plastic bumper) C3s also! I'd take one of those over a C4 or C5 any day of the week!
Ha, oops I actually meant C2. But pre-'72 C3s are acceptable as well. :ohyeah:
My dad didn't put his in storage this year so hopefully we can get some work done in the interior.
I'm not sure if there's a better mix of badass and sexy than early C3 Corvettes.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 06:47:08 PM
My dad didn't put his in storage this year so hopefully we can get some work done in the interior.
What needs to be done?
Quote from: hotrodalex on November 01, 2010, 06:48:13 PM
What needs to be done?
The original owner got tired of the blue interior and had it changed to black. Otherwise it's just kinda beat up, since it's been a driver for 40+ years.
Quote from: hotrodalex on November 01, 2010, 06:47:08 PM
Ha, oops I actually meant C2. But pre-'72 C3s are acceptable as well. :ohyeah:
The C2s are nice but I like the C3s better.I really like the C2 verts (side pipes are a must) but the hard tops aren't as sexy to me. Even the split window versions don't do much for me.
Ah. I need to paint all the interior bits of the El Camino black again. It was originally tan and someone painted it black, except they did a terrible job. So I'll have to prep it correctly and everything.
Quote from: gotta-qik-z28 on November 01, 2010, 06:51:12 PM
The C2s are nice but I like the C3s better.I really like the C2 verts (side pipes are a must) but the hard tops aren't as sexy to me. Even the split window versions don't do much for me.
The one I saw yesterday was just perfect. Wasn't even a split window, either.
I own an 08 Civic and I've been thinking about this more and more lately and my ending list looks something like this:
1) HFP suspension. Rides a little bit lower and a little bit harsher but really wakes up the sleepy Civic from what I've read.
2) Tires. The stock tires on the Civic suck major balls and it is in desperate need of at minimum a decent set.
3) Allignment. I guess this goes with the suspension but everything I've read on it points to the car needing a completely new allignment to feel the benefits of the new suspension bits.
4) Sound System. Nothing radical but the stock setup isn't too great.
5) Something that I haven't thought of yet.
You need to start over with the PROPER transmission. :devil:
:lol:
Quote from: 2o6 on November 01, 2010, 08:14:22 PM
You need to start over with the PROPER transmission. :devil:
:lol:
:cry:
I can't help that, might aswell work with the rest of it :lol:
Quote from: Xer0 on November 01, 2010, 08:16:30 PM
:cry:
I can't help that, might aswell work with the rest of it :lol:
You could trade 'er in for an Si. Pretty much fixes everything.
Quote from: 68_427 on November 01, 2010, 08:17:49 PM
You could trade 'er in for an Si. Pretty much fixes everything.
Yeah but I'm in no rush for the extra cost burden that that would put on me. The HFP parts are like $650 and a decent set of tires for the Civic will run me $500-600 which is a ton cheaper then getting a new car and losing out on the 2.5 years that I've already paid for in the Civic.
Now when the loan is over... :winkguy:
Quote from: sportyaccordy on November 01, 2010, 02:26:27 PM
Yea lighting has to be done right, or not at all.
I am actually fascinated by lighting, and did some experiments with some sealed bulb fixtures. It's possible to run an HID bulb in an H4 enclosure, but it needs the proper shielding & positioning, and isn't as good as a projector anyway. I would either go full retro or just leave the lighting alone.
Rupert, I think there are some legit sealed bulb fitting HID projector kits out there.
I'm sure there are, but why would I bother with $Texas and uncertain results?
Accessport
Short throw shifter
Summer tires
Nice mellow exhaust
Save the rest of your money...
Quote from: NomisR on November 01, 2010, 05:53:53 PM
:lol: I like the way a Rotary sounds.. there's just nothing like the whirling noise of a Rotary and the effortlessness of it at high RPMs.
But I don't see how you can place an LS6 lower and farther in the car than you would with the Renesis though. The 13B-REW on the other hand, all the additional plumbing makes it big so I can understand.
The Rotary can probably use something like a TVS supercharger on it though.
Supercharged rotary....now that's something I can get behind.
And push, likely, after it runs out of gas leaving my driveway.
But seriously, that sounds kickass. The main reasons I didn't get an RX-8 are completely practical; gas mileage is horrendous (and at 25,000+ miles a year, it makes a difference) and they're too maintenance intensive (at 70 hours a week, I'm not in the mood to tinker or spend half a day doing preventative maintenance). I'd be adding oil twice a month.
Quote from: NomisR on November 01, 2010, 11:34:17 AM
I don't know about your model year, but I didn't know the OEM Potenzas that came with my old Rx8. They were loud, and they performed poorly. After I switched to RT615s... much much improved. Even wet traction improved over OEM with significantly less road noise.
Our 8s had re040 potenzas.... the newer ones have re050a potenzas which is what I swapped too and they are worlds better
Quote from: Raza on November 02, 2010, 07:17:29 AM
Supercharged rotary....now that's something I can get behind.
And push, likely, after it runs out of gas leaving my driveway.
But seriously, that sounds kickass. The main reasons I didn't get an RX-8 are completely practical; gas mileage is horrendous (and at 25,000+ miles a year, it makes a difference) and they're too maintenance intensive (at 70 hours a week, I'm not in the mood to tinker or spend half a day doing preventative maintenance). I'd be adding oil twice a month.
It wasn't really that bad. I averaged about the same annual miles that you do. And I added oil about every 3000 miles or so. Gas mileage is decent too since most of your commute is freeway. I can do 24 mpg on all freeway.
But I tend to drive around in 4th gear at 80mph so that kills the mileage a bit.. but not really that much. That's the beauty of a rotary.. you drive around at high RPM and it doesn't sound like it's stressing at all.. it's music...
Rotary + Supercharger would sound like a UFO with a chainsaw.. :rockon:
Quote from: r0tor on November 02, 2010, 09:24:41 AM
Our 8s had re040 potenzas.... the newer ones have re050a potenzas which is what I swapped too and they are worlds better
Why didn't you go with R compound?
Quote from: NomisR on November 02, 2010, 10:27:05 AM
Why didn't you go with R compound?
They were on clearance at tirerack.... that and as a daily driver some treadlife was probably a good thing
Here's the dyno graph for a supercharged rotary lol
(http://www.riehle.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/total-growth-figure-2.jpg)
actually, this is the dyno of a supercharged RX8
(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc7/bastage_2005/juanhp.jpg)
Quote from: sportyaccordy on November 02, 2010, 01:03:36 PM
Here's the dyno graph for a supercharged rotary lol
(http://www.riehle.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/total-growth-figure-2.jpg)
I thought it was a chart showing how long it took you to get wood?
Quote from: Onslaught on November 02, 2010, 07:44:39 PM
I thought it was a chart showing how long it took you to get wood?
Well, if you're powered by a rotary it would take a long time...and you will have to stop a lot to apply more lube.
Quote from: SVT666 on November 02, 2010, 07:48:31 PM
Well, if you're powered by a rotary it would take a long time...and you will have to stop a lot to apply more lube.
No, with a rotary you hit max wood really fast. And it revs up much faster and smoother than a piston wood. Girls love it.
But you've got to stop and put fuel and lube on it all the time. And don't turn it off if it's still cold.
Quote from: Raza link=topic=23472.msg1420499#msg1420499 date=1288703849
Supercharged rotary....now that's something I can get behind.
And push, likely, after it runs out of gas leaving my driveway.
But seriously, that sounds kickass. The main reasons I didn't get an RX-8 are completely practical; gas mileage is horrendous (and at 25,000+ miles a year, it makes a difference) and they're too maintenance intensive (at 70 hours a week, I'm not in the mood to tinker or spend half a day doing preventative maintenance). I'd be adding oil twice a month.
Weren't you going to move close to work and buy a sports car?
1. Brum
2. Springs and shocks
3. Brum
4. Brum
5. Tires
Assuming I bought the right car in the first place I won't need any suspension, brake or sound system modifications.
1. Decent Radar Detector, hard wired and mounted near the upper part of the windscreen. Hard to see from the outside and no dangling wires.
2. Tinted windows.
3. MP3 player.
4. Good driving lights if the car didn't come with them or if the stock ones are junk.
Nothing else I can think of
Quote from: Rupert on November 02, 2010, 09:25:14 PM
Weren't you going to move close to work and buy a sports car?
Yes. I'm moving in two days, but it's still a 44 mile round trip.
But when I considered the RX-8, it was 2008.
Quote from: Raza on November 03, 2010, 07:58:01 AM
Yes. I'm moving in two days, but it's still a 44 mile round trip.
But when I considered the RX-8, it was 2008.
That's not bad.. that's about 30 min each way
Quote from: NomisR on November 03, 2010, 11:38:49 AM
That's not bad.. that's about 30 min each way
That depends on traffic in his area. I drive 34 miles a day round trip on an Interstate and it takes me a total 90-120 minutes a day to go and come back from work.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 03, 2010, 11:55:53 AM
That depends on traffic in his area. I drive 34 miles a day round trip on an Interstate and it takes me a total 90-120 minutes a day to go and come back from work.
Yeah, my old commute was 20 miles, and it usually takes an hour or more. My current commute is 6 miles, and it takes half an hour because it's all city driving.. I take partially freeway to avoid the lights. I wish our government would understand how to sync the lights.. off topic..
So when's the 16x coming out?
Quote from: NomisR on November 03, 2010, 11:58:26 AM
So when's the 16x coming out?
I saw that Mazda said that it's been on the back burner because of the economic fuck up. They've been putting all their work into the SKY motors and stuff like that. As they should really.
However, a report about a month or two ago said that MPG has been increased a good amount in the 16X. Now I don't know if that will be true or not. And to be honest I really don't give a shit. I can buy gas obviously.
The problem is it's not passing the current goals for emissions yet. But they say they're still working on that. It looks like with 2011 being the last year of the RX-8, we'll have 2-3 years before
a new car will come out at best I think. Or they could have the car all but ready and just waiting for the motor for all I know.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 03, 2010, 11:55:53 AM
That depends on traffic in his area. I drive 34 miles a day round trip on an Interstate and it takes me a total 90-120 minutes a day to go and come back from work.
Yikes. I drive 27 miles each way and it takes about 35-40 minutes on average.
Quote from: EtypeJohn on November 03, 2010, 12:24:08 PM
Yikes. I drive 27 miles each way and it takes about 35-40 minutes on average.
That's NC for you. Make an outerbelt only 4 lanes in the most used parts. The rest of it is 6-8 lanes.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 03, 2010, 12:06:49 PM
I saw that Mazda said that it's been on the back burner because of the economic fuck up. They've been putting all their work into the SKY motors and stuff like that. As they should really.
However, a report about a month or two ago said that MPG has been increased a good amount in the 16X. Now I don't know if that will be true or not. And to be honest I really don't give a shit. I can buy gas obviously.
The problem is it's not passing the current goals for emissions yet. But they say they're still working on that. It looks like with 2011 being the last year of the RX-8, we'll have 2-3 years before
a new car will come out at best I think. Or they could have the car all but ready and just waiting for the motor for all I know.
Last I read, the fuel economy, power and emissions was not as good as they would like and they're looking to revamp that.
Oh, have you read about the Audi A1 based hybrid rotary? It's similar to the Volt in concept, but instead of a piston engine, it has a single rotary engine to help maintain constant charge at low speeds.
It's more for city driving though
Quote from: NomisR on November 03, 2010, 01:24:45 PM
Last I read, the fuel economy, power and emissions was not as good as they would like and they're looking to revamp that.
Oh, have you read about the Audi A1 based hybrid rotary? It's similar to the Volt in concept, but instead of a piston engine, it has a single rotary engine to help maintain constant charge at low speeds.
It's more for city driving though
http://rotarynews.com/node/view/1126
Like all things, until I can go buy one I won't hold my breath.
Quote from: Raza link=topic=23472.msg1421000#msg1421000 date=1288792681
Yes. I'm moving in two days, but it's still a 44 mile round trip.
But when I considered the RX-8, it was 2008.
Well, that's good. Why not, like, five miles from work?
And you can get a second car, yes?
Speaking of lighting upgrades, I have more 65watt H7 Rallyes on order since one burned out finally after a couple of years, as well as some 85watt selective-yellow H3s for my fogs, and an upgraded relay/wiring harness assembly so I don't nuke my factory wiring with them...
Nice. I'm still waiting on 90/100W H4 bulbs and relays for the Porsche, and then I have to fix the fogs, order a new lens (cracked), and then paint them. I'm using the Dan Stern method of Duplicolor Metalcast Yellow-- it's supposed to very closely replicate the classic yellow lens color.
I got mounts ready for the Hella 500s on the Explorer (pain. in. the. ass.), and will hopefully get those installed this weekend. I might replace the fogs, too, since the stockers suck. Probably wait for $ > dust to do that. :lol:
Quote from: Rupert on October 31, 2010, 11:01:29 PM
I don't have any experience with HID kits, but the knowledgeable-person hearsay I, uh, hear, is that they mostly just create glare for the other driver, which is obviously a bad idea. The amount of light is nice, but the aiming is really the most important part.
Not all the cars I've put them in are projectors and weren't originally designed for HID, but I make sure they're aimed properly and always test them a bit to see if they're glaring too badly. I also stick to a 5000-6000K temperature bulb for a little bit of that "trendy" look while retaining
near maximum brightness. The people putting in those 8,000, 10,000, or even 12,000K bulbs piss me off. Headlights should not be purple, nor do you gain much light output from regular old fashioned halogens when you do that.
I think Silverstars are mostly a waste of money... I had them before the HID conversion and I didn't see what made them worth the extra money. Regardless, I have greater visibility and a whiter light with the HIDs than I did with halogens and no one seems to think they're blinding, so I stand by the decision. I was doing a lot of night driving a while back and with as many deer as there are and as curvy as the roads are, I feel the HID conversion was a very good investment.
Couple of things on lighting
200W???? Damn
And here's what a good low beam pattern looks like
(http://www.littodevilperformance.com/hid/gallery/custom7thgenaccordandy/DSC09206_small.jpg)
(http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/attachments/vz-holden-commodore-2004-2006/42424d1195174066-hid-xenon-conversion-pix103ej.jpg)
On my next car... retro or bust
Though a decent pattern is doable w/a decent H4 HID kit
That looks like a lot of light for oncoming drivers. Also, photos of lighting are basically useless.
Quote from: sportyaccordy on November 04, 2010, 07:31:18 PM
(http://www.littodevilperformance.com/hid/gallery/custom7thgenaccordandy/DSC09206_small.jpg)
I can't stand how the left side is lower then the right. My RX-8 is like that too. I understand it's to not blind people driving at you in other cars. But I still don't like it.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 04, 2010, 08:11:28 PM
I can't stand how the left side is lower then the right. My RX-8 is like that too. I understand it's to not blind people driving at you in other cars. But I still don't like it.
Yeah, that's how the Miata is and I don't like it.
Quote from: Rupert on November 04, 2010, 07:55:19 PM
That looks like a lot of light for oncoming drivers. Also, photos of lighting are basically useless.
Naw, it looks good. The cutoff line is angled down; drivers see minimal glare. And you can tell a lot about the light pattern based on its shape. The intensity is centered where you need it- at the center, which will be the beam in the distance on the road. It's a good low beam pattern.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 04, 2010, 08:11:28 PM
I can't stand how the left side is lower then the right. My RX-8 is like that too. I understand it's to not blind people driving at you in other cars. But I still don't like it.
I think it gives the beam character. Kind of pointless though. The whole beam is pointing down, so if it were even you could get more light and still not blind oncoming drivers.
One other thing I don't like about these lights is I know a road that has a large hill on it. And at the bottom of the hill it has a hard left turn that immediately starts going up another hill. When you get to the bottom and start the turn you can't see anything until the car is going up the hill again. You have a perfect line of light and then nothing above that. So I'm driving blind sometimes.
Quote from: sportyaccordy on November 05, 2010, 09:18:18 AM
Naw, it looks good. The cutoff line is angled down; drivers see minimal glare. And you can tell a lot about the light pattern based on its shape. The intensity is centered where you need it- at the center, which will be the beam in the distance on the road. It's a good low beam pattern.
I think it gives the beam character. Kind of pointless though. The whole beam is pointing down, so if it were even you could get more light and still not blind oncoming drivers.
The way to grade your lights is with an isocandela plot.
As to the original question, whatever the particular car needs to make it exactly how I want it. Sometimes wheels and tires are #1, sometimes a stereo upgrade is #1. Sometimes I only want minor visual cues changed, and other times, it needs more power or more responsive handling to be enjoyable. My BMW daily driver got wheels & tires, lowering, exhaust and visual mods.
Quote from: Onslaught on November 05, 2010, 09:34:47 AM
One other thing I don't like about these lights is I know a road that has a large hill on it. And at the bottom of the hill it has a hard left turn that immediately starts going up another hill. When you get to the bottom and start the turn you can't see anything until the car is going up the hill again. You have a perfect line of light and then nothing above that. So I'm driving blind sometimes.
In situations like that, high beams are warranted. If I'm out in the forest somewhere, high beams are pretty much a given.
Heh, when I installed the new bulbs I also repaired some wiring that got a bit wonky over the last 4 years. Suddenly they are way brighter... I love it.
To PlastiCar?
1) Head unit with aux jack and MP3 player
2) Toggle switch for radiator fan
3) Upgraded rotors and pads
4) (http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs970.snc4/76337_875587299013_14228342_46333007_3261597_n.jpg)
5) ...
Quote from: the Teuton on November 30, 2010, 12:35:48 PM
To PlastiCar?
1) Head unit with aux jack and MP3 player
2) Toggle switch for radiator fan
3) Upgraded rotors and pads
4) (http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs970.snc4/76337_875587299013_14228342_46333007_3261597_n.jpg)
5) ...
For Plasticar:
(http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/dynamite-sam.jpg)
(http://onlinecarinsurancequote-s.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/compare-auto-insurance.jpg)
(http://llenrock.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/party.gif)
(http://www.dealerrefresh.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/autotrader_logo.gif)
(http://www.midsouthservices.com/images/18inch2_copy.gif)
Lol
:clap:
(http://onlinecarinsurancequote-s.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/compare-auto-insurance.jpg)
That's a Volvo key.